ADVENTURES IN NEW GUINEA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1515, 20 November 1886, Page 3

ADVENTURES IN NEW GUINEA.

The Pall Mall Gazette publishes an interesting account of an interview with the well-known New Guinea missionary, the Rev. James Chalmers, from which the following are extracts:— LONDON AFTER THE SOLITUDES. “London must seem strange to you, Mr Chalmers," I said, “after twenty years of roughing it in tropical lands. What strikes you moat?" “Well,” replied he, “ 1 feel great diffidence io society, as yon may readily imagine, for society in New Guinea is limited to some ten white men and one white lady, Mrs Lawes, the wife of my colleague, who is now at Port Moresby. I have once or twice made a trip southwards to Australia, and then to New Zealand, but that was a long time ago. It is now between eight and nine years ago that I was desired to go to New Guinea for the purpose of visiting the missionary stations at Port Moresby, which Mr Lawes had already organised. 1 have been coming home ever since, but, you see, I have only just arrived, I hop* to stay in England up to May, when my business will be accomplished, and then I shall return." “ BOILED MISSIONARY NO GOOD.” “It is supposed (that the custom of cannibalism in New Guinea was imported from some of the neighboring islands. The legend goes that some sixty years ago, after a certain battle, a chief, out of bravado, cut a portion out of another chief who was slain, threw, it into the pot, and ate it. When the burying party came and asked for the dead body, he said sooffingly, ‘I have eaten it.’ This joke led to reprisals, and the custom spread to the mainland. However, that may be, ‘ long pig ’ is a 1 favorite flat in a State mem," “I found," said Mr Charmers, “ these cannibals of Baldhead Point are the moat agreeable fellows in the world. We got on remarkably well," “Then you were not afraid of being put in the pot yourself ? " “ Not a bit of it. I wont so far as to ask them if they had any such intentions. The chief, with a smile (not a hungry one), said they did not care for white man. They had tried him, but he was not good. Of course they might prefer white man to no man at all; but, as a matter of fact, 1 long-pig ’ orgies ace few and far between. They are like plum pudding at Christmas—very good once a year." IN THB SOULLBRIE3. “These cannibals are really a fine sit of men, both intellectually and physically, superior to many of the coastal tribes. Their houses and temples art very remarkable structures, 1 was allowed to visit one of the temples, and a very remarkable place it was. It is here that | the saturnalias of human flesh conducted. \ When a number of bodies are taken, they are brought into ths temple one by oue. At the end of the temple is a dark recess and into this each body is taken. After the obsequies the body is dragged out into the open, the head is carefully chopped off, and the body is cut up into pieces and thrown into the pot for dinner. The flesh on the skull is then very carefully taken off until the skull is clean. Ths hideous trophy is then handed over to a skilled artificer, who carves and paints it. It is then hung up on a peg in the temple. It happened that these skulls had been taken down for their annual dusting, or 1 should not have been able to make inch a close inspection of the Sculleries. TME FUTURE OF NEW GUINEA.

“What is going to happen in New Guinea, Mr Üba mere 1” I asked. “ Well, I consider the death of Sir Peter Scratchloy was a great loss to the country, He wee a peaceful pioneer. 1 am strongly in favor ot a protectorate; but it ehoild be a protectorate, not predatory, but ?eaceful, instituted ou behalf of the natives. , for one, could never bear to favor the oppression of the native races. You point to the murders, i an a man of peace, but I should say that every man deserved his fate. When I walk about your streets I constantly see the sign, ‘Trespassers will be prosecuted. Bo they should be in New Guinea. Now, it quite an easy matter to obtain a concession of territory from a chief, if you go the right way about it. You laud, say, on the coast; you know the Papuan for ‘chief.’ The chief comes, you negotiate by signs, and you find him a very decent fellow. But supposing you squat without permission, and cut a clearing, can you be surprised if he is angry when be visits his property, and goes for you 1 What I should advise is that the Engish Territory, which is far the best, should be divided into districts over each of which au English officer should be appointed as the director or governor, I should like to see these offioaa fall into the hands of young

gei.tlmaen of the Universities, who could ii without losing their refinement; good manners and politeniss are potent factors in dealing «'ith na'ives. Beachcombers have no moral d fluenco over them. They know them too well. Well having put my young man in power, I would then let him induce ihe natives to cultivate their land by bounties in the way of loans of seed and produce, which would bo repayable. At present there is no trade, though the country is splendidly adapted for tobabco and cotton. The Germans are only a few in number. Under German Government Germans are as good colonists as you would wish to have for a new country." THB GOLDFIELDS. “ Nothing,’ says Mr Chalmers “ would induce mo to subordinate ray missionary work to exploration, though, of course, in my case one is the complement of the other. 1 admit that exploration is the pepper and salt of the missionary’s life. £,ven now I am sighing for the tropical skies of the Southern Hemisphere. I love the natives, I love the work. I generally travel alone, though sometimes I take a native servant, but I am accustomed to ‘ bump my own swag,’ to steer my own course—not by sextant and chronometer, but by compass and cross bearings. Navigation was one of my hobbies years age, but a sextant and chronometer are heavy items in a load which you have to carry. Blankets, water (perhaps), tinned meats and money—that is, beopiron, beads, cloth, etc.—soon make up a heavy load. Often 1 am alone, sometimes 1 have a small party. If possible we travel by native foot-paths which are well defined ; the ‘bush’is not so dense as that of New Zealand. Did I ever come across gold ? Could I tell it when I saw it ? Yes. 1 give you the same answer as 1 made to Sir Peter Scralchiey. If I ever find a goldfield the secret will go with me to the grave. Some people think I know of one now. But you must excuse me ; I have to catch the Reading train.” So I was fain to go, my ears still ringing at the thought of the goldfield hidden, perhaps, in Mr Chalmers’ heart.